Highline Schools Foundation Says THANK YOU to HPS Employees

The Foundation would like to thank the Highline Public Schools employees for their tremendous support during this year's annual employee giving campaign. Employees have pledged more than $16,000, a 50% increase over last year's giving! "We are honored to see the enormous support from district employees to the Foundation" said Foundation President, Holly Moore. "Each of the trustees are working hard to bring recognition to the district and the finest educational staff in the Nation!"

With a mission to develop community resources to help students succeed, Highline Schools Foundation supports academic achievement, classroom enrichment, scholarships, and the arts in all Highline Public Schools. To learn more about the Foundation visit www.fund4excellence.org.

Gold Star Award Nominations open February 1

On February 1, the Highline Schools Foundation will be accepting nominations for this year's Gold Star Awards. Nomination forms will be available through school administrators and on the Foundation's website, www.fund4excellence.org.

The Gold Star Awards honor outstanding employees and volunteers in the Highline Public Schools and all members of the school community are invited to nominate their peers. Winners receive a cash award and will be honored at the Foundation's Gold Star Luncheon on May 30.

New this year, the Gold Star Teacher of the Year will also be eligible to represent the District in the region's Teacher of the Year contest. An Outstanding Administrator of the Year award has also been added. Look for more details in future issues of e-Highlights.

High Schools Students Adopt 40 Families

Students from Highline High School, Mount Rainier High School, and Global Connections High School adopted 40 low-income families for the holidays. The students did food and gift drives during the month of December to benefit families of children enrolled in Highline's early childhood education programs. As a result, the families received presents for their children and food for their holiday celebrations.

Teachers Lori Box (Highline), MaryAnn Yamaguchi (Mount Rainier), and Katherine Hennessey-Fiske (Global Connections) inspired their students and assisted in planning and coordinating their efforts.

"This type of community service touches everyone who is involved in it. The families who were helped are extremely grateful," said Nancy Adams, program manager at Valley View Early Learning Center. "Our staff wants to thank all the students and their teachers for making the holidays so bright for so many!"

Pacific Selected for Mathematics Helping Corps

Pacific Middle School has been selected to participate in the Washington State Mathematics Helping Corps program (MHC).

Pacific will receive $30,000 to fund math training for teachers and the principal, including sending teachers to the Northwest Math Conference. These funds will help Pacific to realize its math goals for students.

The Mitten Tree

A Chinook Middle School Winter Project

I have worked at Chinook Middle School, SeaTac-s only public middle school for the past 22 years and I never cease to be amazed at the generosity of our students, families and staff - otherwise known as our Thunderbird Community. It is even more stunning when you consider that Chinook has one of the highest poverty rates in the state. Since many of our families have struggled, they are quick to recognize needs in others and respond in any way they can to help through hard times.

As we wrap up our annual food drive next week with a hefty contribution to the local food bank, our Mitten Tree Project will immediately follow. The tree will stand in our foyer, ready to be adorned with an array of donated mittens, gloves, hats, scarves and even socks! Before we wind up the month and head off for winter break, the tree will be bare once again and several boxes of warmth will be sent off to women and children's shelters.

The donated items come from several sources. Some are purchased, but many are made especially for this mission. Teachers will purchase fleece to be made into scarves. Family and friends will be recruited to sew, knit or crochet items to give.

Before the first frost hit, I was searching for good deals at Rite-aid, The Dollar Store, and my favorite, Target where you can get 2 pair of magic gloves for $.99! These work great for our mild winters and will fit almost any size hand. I also gather a stock of yarn to be knitted or crocheted and fleece throws to be cut or sewn into scarves and hats.

In our office between assignments and errands, our student helpers often have "down time", when we encourage them to do homework or read. I recognized that there were some very capable hands that could be making a big contribution. When my son was in 6th grade, his teacher taught her class to make scarves using a knitting board. I used this project for Girl Scouts, and my mom used it with her youth group at church, so I knew this would work. I had my husband make the boards with scrap lumber and nails and I hit up my family and friends for donations of left over yarn. As the project grew, we needed more boards so I got our shop teacher involved to make enough for each of our TA's. I also found Knifty Knitters on sale so some students could branch out and do hats after they had done a scarf or two. Some students really take off with this, others not so much, but I encourage them to at least complete one project for the cause.

By the third week of December, it will be hard to find a bare branch on the tree. It will be festooned with a colorful array of head and hand warmers, topped off with a red hat, and scarves draped like garland all around.

And we all hope our little effort will bring warmth and smiles to someone in need this Holiday Season.

Submitted by Janis Landon, Chinook Middle School Registrar

Shorewood Students Visit Construction Site to Study Erosion Prevention

On December 13, 60 fourth-grade science students, teachers, and parent volunteers took an hour-long field trip to the Shorewood construction site. The students were working on a science module about erosion so it was an ideal time to visit a rain-soaked construction site overlooking Puget Sound. They were able to trek through the mud in hardhats and see first-hand the challenges and methods for dealing with erosion. The visit was tied directly to the textbook materials. They were able to view holding dams and catchments, plastic tarps, pumps and pipelines, catch basins, interceptor swales, temporary ponds, and a huge underground storm water retention reservoir under construction. The students asked many pertinent questions and had the opportunity to see (from a safe distance) large construction machines and cranes working away.

General Contractor for the Shorewood project, Berschauer Phillips Construction, coordinated a series of demonstrations and experiences, with site work activities adjusted and managed to ensure safe observations and movement around the site.

Construction Project Manager Jay Garthwaite commented, "Hopefully there will be some young person out of that group aspiring to a future as an Environmental Engineer, Construction Worker, Scientist or Erosion Management Technician."

Qwest Foundation Learning Technologies Grants Available

Qwest Foundation has announced its grant application process for Learning Technologies Grants. Applications are due February 4, 2008.

This grant application is the first step in a competitive process that will award $10,000 grants to individual teachers or teacher teams. These grants fund projects that use the power of real-world technologies to bring standards-based curriculum to life. The grant is managed by Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Educational Technology unit.

All Washington State K-12 certificated school teachers and library/media specialists who have regular access to the classroom are eligible to apply. Previous Qwest Foundation Learning Technologies Grant Program awardees are not eligible to apply.

Completed grant applications are due at OSPI no later than 3:00 p.m., February 4, 2008. We will not review applications received after the deadline.

Instructions and an application form can be found on the OSPI Educational Technology website at www.k12.wa.us/EdTech/Qwest.aspx

Questions? Contact:

Julia Fallon, OSPI
Technology Integration Program Manager
(360) 725-6246
julia.fallon@k12.wa.us

Aviation Student Selected for Prestigious Program

Derek Schlieps, a senior at Aviation High School, has been selected to participate in the Reischauer Scholars Program, a distance learning course sponsored by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). With only 25 students selected from across the country, entrance into this program is highly sought-after. Derek was nominated by his teacher, Ken Kumakura, and will engage in an intensive study of Japan in an Internet-mediated course from February to June 2008.

Currently in its fifth year, the RSP provides students with a broad overview of Japanese history, literature, religion, art, politics, economics, and contemporary society, with a special focus on the U.S.-Japan relationship. Ambassadors, top scholars, and experts throughout the United States and Japan provide lectures via the Internet as well as engage students in online dialogue. These lectures and discussions are woven into an overall curriculum that will provide students with reading materials and assignments. Concurrent with the Internet-mediated course, students also develop individual research projects. Final research projects are printed in journal format and students are required to lead two presentations on Japan at their schools or in their communities. Students who successfully complete the course will earn Stanford Continuing Studies Program (CSP) credit and a Certificate of Completion from SPICE, Stanford University.

Congratulations, Derek!